Tapizar | Horse Racing Free Tips

Champions Essential Quality, Monomoy Girl Remain On Target For Delayed Oaklawn Stakes

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 2020 Champion 2-year-old Essential Quality remains on target for Oaklawn's delayed running of the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, reigning champion trainer Brad Cox told the Paulick Report.

Hot Springs, Ak. has been beset by extreme winter weather since it last held racing on Feb. 11. The track has seen several inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures over the past week, and is forecast to receive an additional 10-plus inches of snow in the coming days. Races were cancelled this weekend, and all graded stakes were rescheduled.

The $750,000 Southwest, which offers 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby to the winner, was originally scheduled to be run on Feb. 15, and is now expected to be rescheduled to the week of Feb. 25-28. That puts the Southwest just two weeks before Oaklawn's next prep race, the G2 Rebel on March 14.

Essential Quality remains stabled at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., where temperatures have dipped below freezing overnight but are not nearly as cold as in Arkansas. The Godolphin-owned 3-year-old son of Tapit put in a workout at Fair Grounds on Feb. 14, covering five furlongs in 1:02.40.

Also remaining on target for her 2021 debut at Oaklawn is dual champion Monomoy Girl. The now 6-year-old daughter of Tapizar was scheduled to run in the G3 Bayakoa Stakes on Feb. 15, and will still make her next start in that race when it's rescheduled to the week of Feb. 25-28. Monomoy Girl is also stabled at the Fair Grounds, and worked five furlongs there in 1:01.40 on Feb. 14.

“It hasn't really affected the training for both Essential Quality and Monomoy Girl,” Cox told bloodhorse.com. “They have been working steadily and are ready to run. We worked them this weekend when they were supposed to race and we'll breeze them again this weekend to prep for the races next weekend. They are ready to run. We'll ship them up when the weather clears.”

The post Champions Essential Quality, Monomoy Girl Remain On Target For Delayed Oaklawn Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Monomoy Girl and Improbable Crowned Champion Older Dirt Horses

Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) came into 2020 toting lofty expectations on top of an already gaudy record. After enjoying a truly spectacular sophomore year, annexing six of seven starts–five of them at the Grade I level–including the Longines Kentucky Oaks, Acorn S. and Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, she spent the entire 2019 season on the sidelines because of a mild case of colic followed by a hamstring injury. The half-sister to GII Risen Star S. winner Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) finally marked her long-awaited return in a May 16 optional claiming event at Churchill Downs, winning by 2 3/4 lengths. Heavily favored for the May 16 GII Ruffian S. at Belmont, the now 6-year-old edged away to a two-length score before adding a tally in Churchill's GI La Troienne S. Sept. 4. Doing exactly what she was expected to do in her seasonal finale in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill, she employed her customary off-the-pace style to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Valiance (Tapit). Offered at the Fasig-Tipton November sale by her connections, the one-time $100,000 Keeneland November yearling flourished into a $9.5 million broodmare prospect for her buyer Spendthrift Farm.

Improbable (City Zip) raced on the bubble of stardom throughout his career, but it was in his 4-year-old season that he truly ascended to the top levels of the sport. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' when he won the Street Sense S. by a dominating 7 1/4 lengths as a 2-year-old in 2018, the handsome chestnut ended his juvenile campaign with a win in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity. He performed creditably at three, with runner-up efforts in the GII Rebel S. and GI Arkansas Derby leading to a fifth-place effort in the GI Kentucky Derby and a sixth in the GI Preakness S.

Improbable opened 2020 in similar fashion, finishing second behind Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) in the Oaklawn Mile in April, but it was all blue skies and rainbows after that. He returned to the West Coast to score a 3 1/4-length victory in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup S. in June, then ventured back East to win the GI Whitney S. in August.

While he uncharacteristically trailed the field for much of the GI Awesome Again S., Improbable uncorked a furious rally on the final bend, inhaling the field–including stablemate and fellow Eclipse finalist Maximum Security (New Year's Day)–at the top of the stretch and bounding clear to a geared-down 4 1/2-length victory.

Improbable attempted that same rally just over a month later in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland, but was never able to reel in pacesetting stablemate Authentic (Into Mischief). His runner-up effort behind that champion 3-year-old was enough, however, to earn him the championship of his division.

Improbable was retired following the Classic and begins his stud career next month at WinStar Farm at a fee of $40,000 S&N.

The post Monomoy Girl and Improbable Crowned Champion Older Dirt Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘She’s A Monster’: Monomoy Girl On Target For Feb. 15 Bayakoa At Oaklawn

Champion Monomoy Girl remains on track to make her 2021 debut in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older females Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park, trainer Brad Cox said Thursday.

Monomoy Girl is based at Fair Grounds, where she has recorded two workouts since completing an unbeaten 2020 campaign (4 for 4) with a 1 ¾-length victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky's famed racing/breeding operation, purchased Monomoy Girl for $9.5 million the following day at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale and opted to keep her in training with Cox in 2021, with the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa now her first confirmed target.

“Honestly, with her breeze this past weekend, she's probably a little ahead of schedule, as far as where I thought she would be,” Cox said. “We never took her out of training. We just backed off of her. She's as good as ever, to be honest with you. She's a monster.”

A 6-year-old daughter of Tapizar, Monomoy Girl has won 13 of 15 lifetime starts and bankrolled $4,426,818. She was the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, and after missing 2019 with injury and illness, likely clinched her second Eclipse Award, this time as champion older dirt female, with a second Breeders' Cup Distaff victory in November.

Monomoy Girl returned to the work tab Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds, covering 3 furlongs in :37. She breezed a half-mile in :48.80 over a fast track Sunday morning.

“She's really training well,” Cox said. “Looks amazing. Her weight's great. Her breeze this weekend was spectacular. If we can continue to see that throughout the year, we're going to have a great year again.”

The Bayakoa is Oaklawn's second of three preps for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17. The final stepping stone is the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 13. A seven-time Grade 1 winner, Monomoy Girl has never raced at Oaklawn or faced males. The Apple Blossom will be run the same day as the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses.

Cox said the Azeri could be a loose comeback target for Monomoy Girl's younger stablemate, Shedaresthedevil, who is scheduled to return this month to Hot Springs to continue preparations for her 4-year-old campaign.

Shedaresthedevil, who was based last winter and spring at Oaklawn, was among the country's top 3-year-old fillies after winning four races, including the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) in March at Oaklawn and the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.

Shedaresthedevil, in her first start against older horses, completed 2020 with a third-place finish in the $400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Shedaresthedevil then received a 60-day break, co-owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs said, before resuming training in mid-December in Kentucky.

“Just kind of knocking the dust off of her,” said Cox, Oaklawn's third-leading trainer last year. “She got a good break, a well-deserved break. No physical issues. Just thought she deserved some time. There was no sense going into the Breeders' Cup. That was really the only thing left. I thought it was a wise decision by the ownership group to just give her the break. Our goal this year is to get her to the Breeders' Cup in San Diego, at Del Mar. We'll work our way back from that.”

Cox has divisions at Oaklawn and Fair Grounds and in New York and Florida.

The post ‘She’s A Monster’: Monomoy Girl On Target For Feb. 15 Bayakoa At Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tapizar Colt Wires Sugar Bowl

Quick Tempo (Tapizar), a debut winner over the Arlington synthetic Aug. 20 and off the board after dueling in the grassy Ontario Racing S. at Woodbine Sept. 19, posted a big figure allowance win at Parx at third asking Oct. 20. He lost little in defeat staying on for second after setting a hot pace in the Nyquist S. on the Breeders’ Cup Friday undercard at Keeneland Nov. 6. Favored at 4-5 to post a career high here, the dark bay broke like a rocket from his rail draw, was on the engine through fractions of :21.47 and :44.57, and proved not for catching in the stretch. Quick Tempo becomes the 12th stakes winner for the late Tapizar. The winner’s dam had a colt by Constitution in 2019.

SUGAR BOWL S., $75,000, Fair Grounds, 12-19, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.12, ft.
1–QUICK TEMPO, 118, c, 2, by Tapizar
1st Dam: Sing Dixie Sing (SW, $237,352), by Dixie Union
2nd Dam: Canaryinacage, by Mineshaft
3rd Dam: Megans Bluff, by Pine Bluff
($20,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT; $75,000 2yo ’20 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK
TYPE WIN. O-Dare To Dream Stable LLC (Michael Faber);
B-Albert & Joyce Bell (KY); T-Christopher Davis; J-Adam
Beschizza. $46,500. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $116,562.
2–Gagetown, 116, c, 2, Exaggerator–Betty’s Solutions, by Eltish.
($170,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $47,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP;
$120,000 RNA 2yo ’20 OBSAPR). O-Rupp Racing; B-SF
Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $15,000.
3–Twilight Blue, 116, c, 2, Air Force Blue–Lily the Pink, by Rahy.
($45,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Carl R. Moore Management LLC;
B-Knowles Bloodstock, Inc. (KY); T-Joe Sharp. $7,500.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.80, 2.50, 4.60.
Also Ran: Crime Spree, Tate, Sermononthemount, Warlock Doc.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Tapizar Colt Wires Sugar Bowl appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post